Electric test prod



April 15, 1958 Osanw JTZfiZZmo INVENTOR I I BY 7 a I ATTORNEYS United States Patent ELECTRIC TEST PROD Oscar M. Hilmo, Phoenix, Ariz.

Application August 14, 1956, Serial No. 604,018

1 Claim. (Cl. 339-108) This invention relates to an emergency or temporary connection for electrical circuits.

An object of this invention is to provide a feeler or prod for testing electric circuits or forming a temporary connection, the device being formed of insulated material so as to protect the user.

Another object of this invention is to provide a feeler or prod for testing electric circuits or producing a temporary connection which includes a pair of springpressed clamping jaws which are constantly urged to released position, with an insulated shell or housing about the jaws and including spring-pressed means to normally urge the jaws to closed position.

A further object of this invention is to provide a feeler or prod which will give the maximum protection to the user, and which is of simple construction so that it can be manufactured at small cost and will withstand hard usage.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts, hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claim, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts Without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a detail side elevation of a connector constructed according to an embodiment of this invention, showing the contact members in concealed position.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the device showing the contact members or prongs in operative position.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a detail side elevation of the prongs or contact members with the slide extending from the rear end thereof.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral designates generally a cylindrical body or housing which is formed of electric insulating material. The body 10 has a rear wall 11 which is formed with a central opening 13 and the rear wall 11 projects from the outer surface of the body 10 so as to form an annular flange 12.

The slide member generally indicated at 14 is slidably mounted within the body or housing 10 and includes a round body 15 having an annular flange 16 at the forward end thereof which slidably engages the inner cylindrical surface of the housing 10. The body 15 has projecting from the forward end thereof a pair of ears 17 and the rear or inner ends of a pair of contact members 18 are pivotally mounted between the cars 17. These contact members form clamping or gripping elements and each member 18 is formed of an elongated straight bar 20 which terminates at its outer or forward end in 2,831,174 Patented Apr. 15, 1958 a curved article-gripping jaw or contact member 21. A spring 22 constantly urges the two contact members 18 apart or to an inoperative position. The slide member 14 is provided at its rear with a threaded stud 23 about which the forward end of a cylindrical sleeve 24 is threadedly mounted. The sleeve 24 is also formed of insulating material and the sleeve 24 is formed of a longitudinal bore 25 through which a conductor 26 is adapted to loosely engage. The stud 23 has extending rearwardly therefrom a reduced diameter shank 27 having a central bore 28 within which the bared wire 29 is adapted to be extended. The wire 29 is secured in the bore 28 by means of a set screw 30. The sleeve 24 is provided with an annular flange or head 31 at the rear end thereof and a spring 32 engages about the sleeve 24 and bears at its forward end against the wall 11 and bears at its rear end against the head 31 so as to constantly urge the sleeve 24 rearwardly. Rearward movement of the sleeve 24 under the tension of spring 32 will move slide 14 rearwardly and draw the clamping members or contact members 18 inwardly of the cylindrical body 10. As the contact members 18 are drawn into the interior of the body 15 these contact members 18 will be moved toward each other so as to thereby firmly grip a part 33 therebetween. This part 33 may be one portion of an electric circuit which is being tested or with which the connector is adapted to be temporarily connected.

In the use and operation of this device the conductor 26 is stripped of insulation at one end and the wire 29 which is thereby bared is inserted in the bars 28 and secured by the set screw 30. The unit comprising the body 10 and the spring-pressed sleeve 24 may then be held in one hand, preferably with one hand engaging about the body 10 and the other hand pressing the sleeve 24 inwardly of the body 10 so that the clamping members or bars 18 will be projected from the forward end of the body 10 and will be opened or separated by the spring 22. Release of the spring-pressed sleeve 24 will move slide 14 inwardly or to the left as viewed in Fig. 2 and as slide 14 moves inwardly the bars or gripping members 18 will be moved toward each other so as to thereby grip the elements 33. This connection will provide a means for connecting an emergency line to an electric circuit or for repairing an electric circuit under emergency conditions.

What is claimed is:

An electrical connector comprising a round body having a threaded end, an annular flange at the other end of said body, a pair of longitudinally inwardly bent contact arms pivotally carried by and extending from one end of said body, a leaf spring constantly urging said arms apart, a cylindrical dielectric arm contacting member loose about said body and flange, a rear end wall fixed to said member having an opening through which said body slidably engages, means securing one end of a conductor to the rear end of said body, a dielectric sleeve threaded to the threaded end of said body and slidably engaging through said opening, an annular flange at the rear end of said sleeve, and a spring about said sleeve between said flange and said end wall to normally urge said body rearwardly. 

